The fourth edition of the first Challenger series tennis tournament in the history of Rijeka was announced by the mayor of Rijeka Vojko Obersnel, the tournament director Ive Pađen and professor Bruno Grbac, the president of the Tennis Club Kvarner, the organizer of the tournament.
The first three editions of Rijeka Open showed that Rijeka needed such an international tournament. This was proved by crowded stands since the first days of the tournament to the great finals, which was celebrated first by Marin Čilić, then by the Chilean national team player and two-time Olympics winner Nicolas Masu, and after him, the Italian player Paolo Lorenzi won the finals last year.
The organizers are extremely satisfied with the response by tennis players, even those with a better rating, as the response is greater than for the tournaments held the same week with a greater prize fund. They are especially satisfied with the fact that the last year’s winner Lorenzi and the last year’s finalist, the Slovenian Blaž Kavčić will appear again. The tournament will feature two players who are among the hundred best players in the world and as many as six Croatian tennis players. They have also prepared the accompanying program, Kids Day among other things, when the children get the opportunity to socialize with the competitors.
 
After thanking the organizers for their great effort, the mayor of Rijeka, Mr Vojko Obersnel emphasized that the City of Rijeka supported Rijeka Open not only because it represented an opportunity for the young Croatian tennis players to participate in an international tournament in their own country, but it also promoted Rijeka and its surroundings as a good host of large sports competitions, thus fitting in the program of the development of urban tourism. He stated that there are constant investments into the tennis courts in Marčeljeva Draga with the purpose of creating infrastructural conditions for the organization of a tournament at a higher lever of competition.